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The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Centre for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), has officially launched the Zambian PEN-Plus National Operational Plan, curriculum, and treatment guidelines for 2025–2026.
The newly launched plan provides a structured roadmap to improve access to quality care in health facilities, enhance the skills of healthcare workers, ensure consistent availability of essential medicines and equipment, and strengthen progress monitoring systems.
Health Minister, Dr. Elijah Muchima, represented by the Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Dr. Kennedy Lishimpi, presided over the launch held on Tuesday at Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka.
Muchima emphasized that prioritising healthcare remained fundamental to Zambia’s national development agenda.
“This document could not have come at a better time, as Zambia is currently undergoing a healthcare shift,” he said.
He noted that while Zambia had long battled infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS, there was now a growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which currently account for about 29 percent of all deaths in the country.
The Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that all Zambians—regardless of economic status or geographic location—have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, delivered as close to families as possible.
Meanwhile, CIDRZ representative Dr. Carolyn Bolton highlighted the initiative’s early milestones, noting that it began with two pilot sites: Matero First Level Hospital in Lusaka and Mwachisompola First Level Hospital in Chibombo.
“These hospitals have since evolved into training centres, hosting provincial workshops for healthcare workers on the management of complex NCDs,” she said.
Bolton added that in 2024, Kapiri Mposhi District Hospital joined as the third PEN-Plus clinic, further expanding the programme’s reach and impact.
She said the rollout of PEN-Plus would significantly strengthen Zambia’s national response to NCDs and improve health outcomes for thousands of citizens.
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